MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 25, 2022 / The ability of organizations to communicate in plain and truthful language is undermined by a toxic combination of well-meaning, but ultimately counterproductive, regulations, and a public discourse that lacks any semblance of veracity and accountability. So says, Jos Opdweegh, International CEO and author of Fair Value; reflections on good business.
In a recent blog, Opdeweegh makes a passionate case for a middle way that holds public figures and organizations to greater account, while loosening the ties on corporate reporting which, he claims, is now so compliance-focused that it speaks primarily to an elite few analysts rather than addressing the full range of stakeholders.
"On the one hand, under the veil of a democratic process we have a political class… that takes its responsibility to measurement and accountability with a pinch of salt," writes Opdweegh. "At the other extreme, our largest corporations are now answerable to an ever-growing profusion of reporting requirements that are designed to ensure full transparency, but which in practice result in obfuscation and conditionality"
This squeeze on plain speaking, claims Opdeweegh, is further tightened by more insidious threats to free speech in our workplaces and communities.
In his blog, he writes: "we all know why President Putin tolerates no dissent to his descriptor of Russia's 'special operation' in Ukraine - but are we, I wonder, attentive enough to the verbal straightjackets we increasingly wear at home? How easy do we make it for colleagues to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy - and how many are reluctant to share concerns for fear of offending against political correctness?"
Opdeweegh asserts that in order to flourish organizations should work to create an environment in which diverse opinions are welcomed, but also scrutinized and critically reviewed. Drawing on themes he has previously explored in Fair Value, Opdweeegh argues that free speech and toleration means also accepting some discomfort. "When it comes to values and ideas, the only truly safe space is the one in which all can be heard -no matter how nonconformist they may be - and then adopted, rejected, or even ridiculed on our assessment of their merits."
Looking ahead, Opdeweegh asks if we might, "…rebuild trust in our politics by insisting on more stringent measures? In the regulatory sphere, could we find some leeway for plain speaking and best intentions rather than nailing every syllable to the mast? And as for the workplace -and our communities -can we reach common cause in the proposition that being inclusive and sensitive, means also allowing for difference and dissent?"
He is not confident of success through our institutions. "Ever the optimist, I believe that we can; ever the realist; I'm not confident we will," he says.
But in our personal lives, Opdeweegh is more optimistic, insisting that individuals can make a difference and hence, concluding with a personal manifesto of his own. "If wider society does not balance these forces then at least I can try, and by setting the best example I can - to my colleagues, families and those others I connect with - make a small contribution to rebuilding the trust, truth and freedom of expression that are hallmarks of the values I hold most dear."
To read more of Jos Opdeweegh's reflections on business and life, visit https://josopdeweegh.com/ and read the acclaimed Fair Value; reflections on good business, available at all major booksellers.
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SOURCE: Jozef Opdeweegh
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